Appreciation for diversity

Every child is different. In the average class, each child is at a slightly different developmental stage. Children come from various racial and cultural backgrounds. They may speak different languages. They have different learning styles. These differences are respected and celebrated at First Choice Montessori. The teachers design a program with each child's unique learning needs in mind.

Making the first day great

Do you remember your first day of school? Were you excited? Frightened? Sad?

Your childhood memories about staring school - and the feelings those memories bring back - will influence how you feel about your child starting school.

You may also have mixed feelings about the start of school - excitement for your child on one hand, a sense of loss on the other. You may be worried about how your child will cope with new routines and strangers.

Your child may also have some mixed feelings. He may feel worried that his teacher won't know his name or that he won't know the children in his class. But, most likely he also views the start of school and his new independence as an adventure and a challenge, especially if he feels prepared and knows what to expect.

Your attitude toward the start of school can help set a positive tone. If you do feel anxious or worried, try not to pass those feelings along to your child.

Preparing for the first day of school

How ready is your child for school? That's a question many parents ask. Generally, any child who is excited and enthusiastic about learning is well-equipped to do well at school.

Think about how much your child has learned already. Before ever starting school, your child has mastered some of the most important lessons of life. She knows the difference between herself and others, between family and strangers. He grasps the connections between cause and effect. She has a developing sense of time - of past, present and future. He understands and can express spatial relationships - up from down, in from out, front from back. She can use the grammar of her language and has a large vocabulary of words.

These are tremendous achievements, and you were the teacher who helped your child accomplish them. Your child will build on these skills during the early years of school.

However, there are additional skills and knowledge you can help your child acquire before entering school that will ease the transition from home to school.

The First Day

Get yourself and your child up early enough to eat a calm, unhurried breakfast. And keep things as normal as possible - if your child normally has cereal for breakfast, make him cereal this morning.

When you say good-bye to your child on the first day, make it quick, light and reassuring. She will be reassured by a warm hug and a reminder that you - or her usual caregiver - will be picking her up or waiting at home after school is finished. Try not to communicate your feelings of anxiety and separation.

Many parents feel a temporary sense of loss when their children go off to school. If you're feeling that way, plan a special activity for yourself that you can look forward to during the first days of school.